Ridge connector for pitched truss joists



July 29, 1969 A. L. TROUTNER 3,457,339

RIDGE CONNECTOR FOR PI'IGHED TRUSS JOISTS Filed 090. 26. 1967 INVENTOR.ARTHUR L. TROUTNER ATT Y.

United States Patent 3,457,689 RIDGE CONNECTOR FOR PITCHED TRUSS JOISTSArthur L. Troutner, 9777 Cllinden Blvd., Boise, Idaho 83702 Filed Dec.26, 1967, Ser. No. 693,521 Int. Cl. E04b 7/08; E04c 3/11; F16b 7/18 U.S.Cl. 52-639 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A ridge connectorinterconnects the two end abutting sections of the cambered upper chordof a pitched truss joist. The connector includes a bearing plateabutting the end of one of the chord sections, a tongue anchored to thesection, a coupling plate extending outwardly from the bearing plate forcoupling to a cooperating plate on a companion ridge connector, andstiifening web members underlying the tongue and overlying the couplingplate.

This invention relates to ridge connectors for pitched truss joists.Structural pitched truss joists of one well known class comprise a lowerchord, a cambered upper chord including two sections arranged end to endat a predetermined angle to each other and a plurality of linksinterconnecting the upper and lower chords. The adjacent ends of theupper chord sections are coupled together at the predetermined angle bymeans of a ridge connector.

To be suitable for this application, the ridge connector must be stable,must maintain the proper camber and must resist the various stresseswhich are applied to the truss during its manufacture, erection and use.

Accordingly, it is the general object of the present invention toprovide a ridge connector for pitched truss joists of the classdescribed which is characterized by the following functional andeconomic ad 'antagesz (1) It maintains the proper camber in the upperchordv (2) It is adaptable for use with pitched truss joists of varyingcamber including chord-connecting links arranged at various angles.

(3) It resists effectively the various stresses placed upon it duringmanufacture, erection and use.

(4) It may be applied in the manufacture of pitched truss joists ofotherwise standard construction, using conventional truss joistfabricating machinery.

(5) The finished truss joist may be assembled rapidly, without thenecessity of using special equipment.

The manner in which the foregoing and other objects of this inventionare accomplished will be apparent from the accompanying specificationand claims considered together with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a pitched truss joistincluding the ridge connector of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the connectors;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in plan of the pitched truss joist of FIG.1, illustrating the manner of applying the ridge connector; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the ridge connector of my invention is adaptedfor use with a pitched truss joist comprising broadly a lower chord 10,an upper chord comprising two sections 12 arranged end to end at apredetermined angle to each other and a plurality of interconnectinglinks of Varying length, 14, 15 and 16. Lower chord 10 and upper chords12 may comprise 2 x 4s, 2 x 6s or other structural pieces arrangedflatwise, facing each other. The connecting links 16 may compriselengths of aluminum tubing having flattened perforated ends.

3,457,689 Patented July 29, 1969 "ice The chords may be provided witharcuate slots 18 arranged at appropriate longitudinal spacings and withtransverse openings 29 which intercept the slots. The truss joist isassembled by inserting the flattened ends of the links into slots 18 inoverlapped relation and inserting pins 22 through openings 20 and thealigned openings in the flattened ends of the links.

Truss joists of this class wherein the chords are arranged parallel toeach other are a standard item of manufacture, with establishedmanufacturing routines and efficiently designed manufacturing apparatus.

It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a connector foruse in the manufacture of pitched truss joists of the same generalclass, without requiring substantial modification of the mill procedureand manufacturing apparatus.

To this end there is provided the unique connector illustrated in FIG.2.

The principal modification of the conventional truss joist constructionrequired to accommodate the connector of that figure is the provision ofan upper chord 12 in two sections. These are formed, for example, bysawing a conventionally manufactured chord transversely at a locationpredetermined to intercept one of slots 18, thus providing a specialrecess which communicates with the squared planar end of upper chordsection 12. This may be used to anchor the herein described ridgeconnector which together with a cooperating ridge connector on thecompanion upper chord section forms a couple interconnecting theadjacent ends of the chord sections.

The ridge connector, indicated generally at 30, thus comprises a bearingplate 32 arranged substantially vertically, with planar dimensionssubstantially corresponding to the dimensions of the squared end surfaceof upper chord section 12. The base of a tongue 34 is fixed centrally tothe inner face of the bearing plate. It extends inwardly substantiallynormal to the plane of bearing plate 32. It is generally arcuate incontour to conform to the arcuate contour of slot 18a in which it isreceived. Its outer portion, which is enlarged to provide increasedstrength, is provided with a transverse opening 36 dimensioned toreceive a transverse pin 22a.

Bearing plate 32 also mounts at least one coupling plate 38. Preferablythere are two such coupling plates, both of which extend outwardly fromthe outer face of bearing plate 32, substantially normal thereto andsubstantially parallel to each other, in spaced relation. It is to benoted that the coupling plates of one of ridge connectors 30 areslightly offset laterally with respect to the cooperating couplingplates of the companion ridge connector so that all four plates may beinterleaved in the final assembly in the manner shown in FIG. 3.

The coupling plates are formed with transverse openings 40, all of whichare aligned in the final assembly to permit entry of a coupling bolt 42with nut 43 by means of which the two ridge connectors releasably arecoupled together.

Further included in the ridge connector is a lower web 44. This isarranged in a horizontal plane. Its base is fixed to the lower margin ofthe inside face of bearing plate 32. It underlies and is fixed also tovertical coupling plate 34.

Still further, there is provided an upper web 46. Like lower web 44, web46 lies in a susbtantially horizontal plane. However, its base is fixedto the upper margin of the outer surface of bearing plate 32. Itoverlies and is fixed to coupling plates 38.

All of the foregoing elements preferably are formed integrally with eachother in a casting of suitable dimensions and contour. In this casting,upper web 46, hearing 3 plate 32 and lower web 44 have thecharacteristic Z-shape particularly evident in FIG. 4.

The five component parts of the ridge connector thus cooperate inproviding an assembly which achieves the desired result.

Bearing plate 32, which bears against the squared end of chord section12, takes the compressive stress placed upon the truss joist andtransmits it to a bolt 42. It also serves as a base which supports theother elements of the connector.

Tongue 34 with associated pin 22a connects the connector in tension tochord section 12. In addition, the pin takes part of the vertical loadapplied to the truss joist. It serves as an index or reference point forcutting ofi the upper chord section at exactly the proper length tomaintain proper camben. It takes the tension load of the truss joistduring construction. It also takes the coupling load between thestiffening members.

Coupling plates 38, in cooperation with bolt 42, couple the two ridgeconnectors together at the established angle of camber. They take thecompressive stresses transmitted to them from hearing plates 32.

Lower web 44 forms with the bearing plate a seat or pocket receiving theend of the upper chord section. Together with pin 22a it takes thevertical load. In addition, it acts as a stifiener for the verticallyarranged tonque.

Upper web 46 also assists in bearing and transmitting the stressesapplied to the connector. In particular, it serves as a stiffener forvertically arranged coupling plates 38.

To mount the ridge connector on the truss joist assembly, upper chordsections 12 are cut to proper length using opening 20 as an index orreference point. Tongue 34 then is inserted in the resulting slot 18::and pin 22a inserted. The connector thus is mounted on the end of theupper chord section, with the latter firmly seated in the pocketprovided by the inner face of bearing plate 32 and the upper surface ofweb member 44.

The cooperating ridge connector then is mounted on the adjacent end ofthe companion upper chord section 12 with the result that outwardlyprojecting coupling plates 38 of the two connectors are interleaved inthe manner shown in FIG. 3. This aligns the openings through all of thecoupling plates, as well as the openings through the upper flattenedends of truss joist links 16. As a consequence, bolt 42 may be slippedthrough all of the aligned openings and secured with lock nut 44,irrespective of the angle at which the upper chord sections are placedwith respect to each other, and the resulting camber of the resultingpitched truss joist.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, or thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a pitched truss joist comprising a lower chord, acambered upper chord including two sections arranged end to end at apredetermined angle to each other, and a plurality of linksinterconnecting the upper and lower chords, the adjacent upper chordsection ends being provided with central, longitudinally extending slotsintercepting the planes of the chord section ends, a ridge connectorcomprising a pair of connector members each including (a) a verticalbearing plate having an inner face abutting one of the adjacent upperchord section ends,

(b) a vertical tongue received in the slot in the chord section,connected to the inner face of the bearing plate and extending inwardsubstantially normal thereto,

(0) securing means securing the tongue to the chord section,

(d) at least one vertical, apertured coupling plate connected to theoutside face of the bearing plate and extending outwardly substantiallynormal thereto,

(e) the coupling plates of the pair of connector members lapping eachother with the apertures thereof in registry, and

(f) coupling pin means removably penetrating the registering aperturesin the coupling plates of the pair of connector members.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein each connector member includes ahorizontal bottom plate connected to and extending inwardly from thebottom margin of the bearing plate, afiixed to and underlying the tongueand underlying the associated chord section.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein each connector member includes atop horizontalv plate connected to and extending outwardly from the topmargin of the bearing plate, afiixed to and overlying the couplingplate.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the end of the tongue of eachconnector member is transversely apertured and wherein the securingmeans comprises a pin penetrating the aperture through the tongue andthe associated chord section.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 649,830 5/1900 Forsythe 28720.941,665,782 4/ 1928 Hanna 28720.94 2,280,121 4/1942 Green. 3,178,780 4/1965 Booher. 3,252,469 5/ 1966 Peake 52-66 FOREIGN PATENTS 54,073 5 1947France. 84,235 11/1964 France. 599,817 6/ 1934 Ger-many. 547,023 8/1942Great Britain.

HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

